Stay

Duty to your family comes first before your own desires or your own anger towards your sister. "I'll stay," you tell your mother. It was difficult at first, putting your bow into a wooden chest along with your furs and leather armor you had specially made by the village tanner, but you are a good son. You put on the rough wool clothes of a farmer and picked up a hoe. Day in and day out you worked backbreaking work with your family in the field growing millet. The sun drenched your body and you sweat buckets into the field. Normally, you are the age that you are expected to marry, but because your sister took your family's money you can't possibly afford the bride price for a woman from another farm. You cursed your sister occasionally as you realize your probably the only virgin man in the entire fucking village. Your father borrowed money from another family in order to pay for this season's seeds. If this harvest isn't profitable your family will lose the land.

During the Fall, you lift yourself onto the roof of your family home and looked out onto the field, completely filled with wheat, rye, and potatoes. "I'm the best farmer in the world!" You yell to no one in particular. Yet, the wind answered you back as the grain moved in the direction of your home. "Well at least the wind is in accord," you say. "Actually that was me that responded," said a voice right behind you. You jump up in shock and soon find yourself sliding down the hut and hitting the ground in full ****. "Fuck!" You say as you lift yourself to your feet. Your mother heads out of the hut and scolds you for being so reckless. You look onto the roof and don't see the source of the voice. You attribute it to your imagination and continue on your way.

The harvest was good and your father paid off his debt and had money to spare. He went on his own to Ronet to buy more goods and left you to take care of your mother who's gone sick. Her cough's been getting worse and worse so you decided to head into the forest to find some herbs that you know are good for coughs. The wind blows the grass and trees wildly out of nowhere and you get a chill up your spine. "A filial son and an able farmer, I am impressed," a deep voice says. You turn around as fast as you can and are surprised to see an old man with a well kept beard in front of you. He's wearing a dark robe of some kind, not suitable to this weather at all.

"Who are you, old man?" You ask. "You know in the old days men had more respect and knowledge of the Titans," he responds. "Titans? Like those monsters the gods cast out in the kid stories?" you ask. "Well, am I so monstrous?" He asks back. "I think you're pulling my leg old man," you respond. He waves his hand and then the wind picks up wildly again. "That's all, you wave your hand and make the wind blow?" "Unfortunately, my power has waned as of the few millennia as none worship the Titans any longer, but I can still make the wind move and a harvest be plentiful," he responds. "Why are you here?" You ask. "I've watched your dedication to your family and to the land, and I've decided to sponsor you," he replies. "Sponsor?" "The gods that are now worshiped have long forgotten about us Titans and so have the people. The new gods prefer the company of kings, wars, and the sacrifices of nobility. While I may no longer have the great power of days-yore, I still am the titan of liberation, and for your dedication to your family and land I want to liberate you from ignorance." "What do you mean," you ask? "I can alter time so that you are here in this forest for one year, while here you will not want of food, drink, or anything else. In this time, I lack the power to give you the knowledge directly so I will tell you all I know of the gods, people, magic, fortune, and teach you the basics of reading and writing." He offers his hand to you.

You are wary at first, but you shake his hand, and you did not regret it. For one year, the titan, who you now know is Saturn, taught you as much as he could. First, he taught you how to read and write in the various languages of men. He also teaches you the basic elvish dialect and asks that you forgive him for his lack of knowledge on their language. He taught you of all the titans and how each was defeated by the current gods in battle. The titans of old were more focused on the rural and sedentary lifestyle of humans, but when they moved into cities the new gods took the place of the titans as the aspects of humanity's prayers. He taught you the various rituals and summons to invoke the aide of the last remaining titans, Saturn himself, Iaeptus the titan of justice, and Oceanus. "Don't bother invoking Atlas or Prometheus those friends of mine are permanently trapped," he said, "Also be wary of the new gods, because if they sense a titan's meddling in a mortal they might seek to destroy you." He taught you the basics and advanced strategies of markets and you feel confident that were to to enter a trade you'd always come out on top, "I guess there's some benefit to being the titan of fortune," he said during one lesson. Finally, he taught you the history of man and the basics of medicine. "What about magic?" You asked. "Sorry, but all I can give you is the power to summon the wind," he responded. At the last day in the forest you bowed your head to the titan and thanked him for teaching you. "Would you be willing to pray to me?" He asks. You say that this is the least you could do and he gives you a necklace around which is a silver coin with the name "Saturnius Mons," upon it.

You leave the forest and no time has passed outside it. You go to your mother immediately and put a cold rag on her head. You know she has the sweating fever from your medical knowledge gained from Saturn so you prepare concoction from a few herbs and you know she'll be fine in a few days. "Thanks Saturn," you say as you hold the medallion with your right hand. A week later your father returns from Ronet. He has a large cart of goods for the house, and you help him move everything back into the shed you both built during the season. Your father puts his hand on your shoulder and says, "Now that we've taken care of everything I have a gift for you, my son." You follow him to the cart and see something wrapped in cloth upon it. He picks up the cloth and unwraps it to reveal a spear. You look at the design on the steel tip and know immediately it is from one of the nomad tribes found in the eastern steppes, however the design and make of the wooden shaft is from the local kingdom and made it suitable for throwing or stabbing, but unlikely as effective as the original spear. "I bought this from a soldier in Ronet, I think you can use it to hunt again when you have the chance." You thank him for the gift. "Also, we have enough money now that we need to discuss to see if you're ready to marry a girl. Of course, we also need to look for one in particular that takes your fancy," he says.